Same 50 mm tube, same weight, same free app — and yet the gap between the 2020 Vaonis Vespera and the Vaonis Vespera II is the widest in the entire Vaonis range: the sensor goes from 2 to 8.3 megapixels and the focal length from 200 to 250 mm. This is not a cosmetic update. A warning first: Vaonis has removed the first generation’s product page; what remains comes from the 2024 manual and the 2020 announcement blog post, which do not always say the same thing.
The verdict in 20 seconds
The Vespera II is the better of the two, no argument: four times the pixels, a much wider field, a mosaic reaching 24 MP against 8.2 MP, documented internal storage, USB-C charging. At €1,590 ($1,590) it is still available; the first generation is discontinued, its original price is published nowhere, and we have no verified used-market figure.
So the real question is “at what discount does the first generation still make sense”. Two rarely mentioned points weigh heavily on that answer: today’s Vaonis accessories are not declared compatible with it, and its charging is proprietary.
The numbers side by side
Read this before the table: the “Vespera (2020)” column comes from the 2024 Vaonis manual and the October 2020 announcement blog post, the product page having been taken down. Where sources diverge we publish both values; where nothing is documented we write “not published”.
| Criterion | Vaonis Vespera (2020) | Vaonis Vespera II |
|---|---|---|
| Release | Unveiled 1 October 2020 | January 2024 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available |
| Optical design | Apochromatic quadruplet | Apochromatic quadruplet |
| Aperture | 50 mm | 50 mm |
| Focal length | 200 mm | 250 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/4 | f/5 |
| Sensor | Sony 1/2.8″ CMOS per the manual; Sony IMX462 per the manufacturer’s blog | Sony IMX585 |
| Resolution | 2 MP | 8.3 MP |
| Field of view | 1.6° × 0.9° | 2.5° × 1.4° |
| Mosaic | Yes | Yes — CovalENS, 24 MP |
| Mosaic field | 3.2° × 1.8° (8.2 MP max) | 4.33° × 2.43° |
| Mount | Altazimuth | Motorised alt-azimuth |
| Equatorial mode | No | No — alt-azimuth |
| Built-in filters | None | No — solar, dual-band and CLS optional |
| Battery life | About 8 h per the 2024 manual, 4 h per the 2020 blog post (7,000 mAh / 49 Wh battery) | 4 h |
| Storage | not published | 25 GB (eMMC) |
| Weight | 5 kg | 5 kg |
| Tripod included | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity and charging | Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz; proprietary magnetic power connector, no USB-C | Wi-Fi · USB-C |
| Subscription | No — free Singularity app | No — all features included |
| Indicative price | not published | €1,590 ($1,590) |
Three caveats on the left column. Battery life: the 2024 Vaonis manual says about 8 h, the 2020 announcement post says 4 h; both are manufacturer sources, the gap is twofold, and we do not arbitrate. The sensor: the IMX462 reference comes from the Vaonis blog, while the manual only says “Sony 1/2.8″ CMOS”. Finally, internal storage and original price have been published nowhere since the product page was removed, and we do not infer them from the Vespera II: before buying used, those gaps matter as much as the known figures.
What really separates them
The sensor: from 2 to 8.3 MP
This is the heart of the matter. On a device whose image ends up on a screen, quadrupling the resolution changes the nature of the result: what was a pleasant thumbnail becomes an image you can crop without destroying it, or print. The 2020 Vespera does not lack sensitivity, it lacks pixels — and no software makes that up.
Focal length and field: longer and wider at once
The focal length goes from 200 to 250 mm and yet the field widens, from 1.6° × 0.9° to 2.5° × 1.4°, which implies a larger sensor area. The Vespera II therefore frames more sky while sampling it more finely, and large nebulae fit in a single frame where the first generation required a mosaic. The price is the move from f/4 to f/5, worth keeping in mind on very faint targets.
Mosaics: 8.2 against 24 MP
Both generations assemble mosaics, but the first tops out at 3.2° × 1.8° for 8.2 MP while the Vespera II covers 4.33° × 2.43° and reaches 24 MP through CovalENS: its mosaic starts above the older model’s ceiling.
Charging: proprietary magnetic connector against USB-C
An often overlooked point, yet decisive when travelling. The 2020 Vespera charges through a proprietary magnetic connector and its spec sheet mentions no USB-C; the Vespera II charges over USB-C. A lost cable is replaced anywhere in five minutes on the second generation; on the first you have to order it from the manufacturer, for a discontinued device. On the road, weigh that detail as much as a megapixel.
Accessories: the used-market trap
The Vaonis filters (solar, dual-band) and the carry bag carry the manufacturer’s note “suitable for AP 50/250 VESPERA II & PRO”. The first generation is an AP 50/200: those accessories are not declared compatible with it, and no source claims they would fit anyway. It also has no built-in filter at all. A used 2020 Vespera therefore gives no access to the ecosystem sold today.
Battery life: the one point where the older model might lead
The Vespera II is rated at 4 h; the first generation at about 8 h by the 2024 manual, and at 4 h by the 2020 blog post. If the manual is right, the older model lasts twice as long; if the blog is right, they are level. On this criterion the second generation brings nothing at best.
Which one to choose, by use
You already own a 2020 Vespera
This is the only case in the Vaonis range where replacement deserves serious thought: four times the resolution, a wider field, a 24 MP mosaic, USB-C, access to current accessories. If you mostly show the sky on a tablet during evenings, the 2020 unit still does the job; as soon as the image matters, the gap shows.
You are looking at a used unit
We have no verified used-market figure and we will not invent one. The reasoning stays relative but clear: the discount has to cover a 2 MP sensor, a narrower field, a mosaic capped at 8.2 MP, a discontinued device with no product page, proprietary charging and an accessory catalogue that does not cover it. If the asking price approaches the €1,590 of a new Vespera II, walk away; it has to drop well below half that for the first generation to make sense again. On that condition it remains a genuine smart telescope: same 50 mm apochromatic quadruplet, tripod included, free app, mosaics included.
For photographing large extended objects
Clear advantage to the Vespera II: 2.5° × 1.4° in a single frame against 1.6° × 0.9°, and a mosaic up to 4.33° × 2.43° for 24 MP. This is where the price gap is best justified.
For travelling light
Both weigh 5 kg, tripod included. Battery life settles nothing while the manufacturer’s contradiction stands; charging does: USB-C can be sorted out anywhere, the 2020 magnetic connector cannot. On a very small budget a heavily discounted 2020 Vespera remains a coherent entry point, provided you count on no filter at all.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 2020 Vespera’s spec sheet incomplete?
Because Vaonis removed its product page. All that is left is the 2024 manual and the October 2020 blog post, which do not cover everything and contradict each other on battery life. Hence the “not published” rows.
Does the 2020 Vespera run for 4 h or 8 h?
Both figures come from Vaonis: about 8 h in the 2024 manual, 4 h in the 2020 blog post, for a 7,000 mAh / 49 Wh battery. We publish both without arbitrating.
Do the Vaonis filters and bag fit a 2020 Vespera?
They are not declared for it: the manufacturer’s note reads “suitable for AP 50/250 VESPERA II & PRO”, and the first generation is an AP 50/200. No source guarantees de facto compatibility — a classic used-buying trap.
Can a 2020 Vespera be charged over USB-C?
No. Its power input is a proprietary magnetic connector; USB-C only appears with the Vespera II.
Is going from f/4 to f/5 a step backwards?
On focal ratio alone, yes. But the aperture stays at 50 mm, the focal length grows to 250 mm and the sensor moves to 8.3 MP over a wider field: in practice the Vespera II delivers more image. The other trade-offs are in all comparisons.